Daniel A. McGuinness

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Education

J.D., New York University, 2006
B.A., University of Massachusetts, 2003

Biography

Daniel A. McGuinness founded Perlmutter & McGuinness, P.C. in 2015 with his partner Adam D. Perlmutter. Mr. McGuinness graduated from New York University School of Law in 2006. Following graduation, he served as pro bono legal counsel to the Kings County District Attorney's Office, where he assisted in prosecuting a variety of matters. He worked in private practice on both civil and criminal matters prior to founding Perlmutter & McGuinness, P.C. His practice primarily focuses on criminal defense and civil rights litigation.

Mr. McGuinness has handled criminal defense cases throughout New York City, Westchester County and Long Island. In 2012, Mr. McGuinness acted as second-trial chair for the case of United States v. Thomas Gioeli, in which Thomas Gioeli was found not guilty of six murders. Mr. McGuinness has defended clients on a wide range of charges, including, kidnapping, drug possession, conspiracy to distribute narcotics, providing material support to terrorist organization, embezzlement, fraud, and extortion. Mr. McGuinness is currently appointed to the New York County 18-b Panel. In that capacity, he counsels indigent defendants accused of crimes throughout New York County.

A substantial portion of Mr. McGuinness's criminal defense practice is focused on DWI defense. His DWI work includes both trial work and public interest litigation related to DWI defense. In 2014, Mr. McGuinness successfully argued a freedom of information case before the New York First Appellate Division, winning access to all of the NYPD's breath testing maintenance records, which are now available online.

Mr. McGuinness's civil rights practice focuses on cases of false arrest, malicious prosecution, and prison abuse. He successfully helped clients recover millions of dollars in case stemming from official misconduct. In 2015, Mr. McGuinness helped to achieve the landmark ruling in Crawford v. Cuomo, which permitted prisoners to bring Eighth Amendment claims against prison officials in all cases of sexual abuse. In 2014, Mr. McGuinness assisted in the exoneration of Sharrif Wilson, freeing Mr. Wilson after spending 21 years in prison for murders he did not commit.